


Drag Me to the Grave

by thatscalledyes



Series: Beth/Andy [2]
Category: Black Veil Brides
Genre: BVB, Black Veil Brides - Freeform, Depression, Drama, F/M, Kill Me With Words sequel, Romance, Sequel, YA, bandfic, fan fiction, teen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-05-11 19:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5638516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatscalledyes/pseuds/thatscalledyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please go re-read chapter 3 before reading this chapter. I decided to go in a different direction and changed the ending of chapter 3. In order to understand this chapter in relevance to the story, you have to read the end of chapter 3. Thanks! I hope you guys are enjoying this story! I'm done with finals at school so I will try to update more often now.</p></blockquote>





	1. CH 1

_There's a couple sitting in the booth in front of me_. Beth scribbled in her small black notebook. She was trying to observe other people's lives to get song ideas. Her mind's word bank had run dry and her creativity was a small trickle, almost at the last drop.  
  
She watched as they both stood up and faced each other. They embraced, and stood like that for what seemed like an eternity; just standing there holding each other; allowing the warmth of each other's bodies to collide and mix with one another. Beth averted her eyes to her notebook so as to give the couple a few moments of privacy. She had been watching them the entire time she'd been in here, after all.  
  
As she glanced up, the man was turning away from the woman. His eyes were red and tears were beginning to well up. His lips quivered and his brow knit together in pain and grief as the woman said in a very soft voice "Goodbye." But she didn't look as torn up as he.  
  
The man took a deep breath and began to briskly walk out of the junction, clutching his briefcase strap in his hand to direct all his energy into something. Beth watched him walk down the street through the window and the woman sat back down in her booth alone, just like Beth.  
  
As Beth quickly jotted down notes on what had just occurred in front of her, she began to reminisce about the time she had to say goodbye to Andy at the airport all those months ago. She hadn't heard from him once since. In her situation, she was the grieving man in love and Andy was the woman who didn't seem to feel the same.  
  
"Are you all set with that?" An employee came up to her, motioning to her empty plates.  
  
She looked up at him. He was easily newly eighteen, maybe nineteen but God, did he look just like Andy. "Um, um, yeah." She fumbled. He took her dishes and left her alone.  
  
December was quickly coming to a close and soon it would be January 1st, 2016. She hadn't heard from Andy since the end of August and she hadn't been able to write a single word since he left. She thought the pain of Andy leaving would spark up something in her mind; anything. Heartache was always her go-to; the one thing she could rely on to power her songs. But without Andy, there was nothing.


	2. CH 2

"Beth!" Her father called up the stairs to her. "Your friends are here!"

  
Beth hopped off the bed and trotted down the stairs to greet her friends and bandmates standing at the bottom of the staircase waiting for her. Emily held a bottle of champagne in one hand and Spencer stood shyly behind her. Marcus was already in the fridge making himself at home as usual.

  
"I'm so glad you guys are here." Beth wrapped her arms around her best friend. "How are you and Marcus?"

  
"Um, we're good!" Emily said but her eyes said something else.

  
"You sure, Em? Is something going on between you guys?" Beth started growing concerned.

  
"No, no." Emily reassured. "We've just gotten in a couple fights since moving in with each other but that's expected. It's hard to live with your boyfriend and you know Marcus. He can be a little rough around the edges at times."

  
"He's not hurting you, is he?" Beth took Emily's wrist in her hand and started examining her arms for bruises.

  
"Oh my god, Beth, no!" Emily exclaimed. "Like I said, just fights now and again but we're fine, honest." She put her hand to her heart and promised Beth that everything was fine.

  
Beth didn't fully believe her but let the topic go anyway. She followed Emily into the kitchen where Marcus was having a beer with Beth's dad. Beth thought back to the summer when her kitchen floor was covered in glass and sticky beer; her father and her friend fist fighting behind the island. The pop of the cork coming out of the champagne bottle drew her away from her memories and back to her kitchen as it was in the present: Marcus and her dad conversing quietly and civily in the corner, Emily pouring glasses of champagne, and Spencer quietly making his way over to the two girls standing by the sink.

 

"Want some Spence?" Emily asked as she finished pouring both glasses and noticed him standing there.

 

He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

  
Beth walked over to him and put a comforting hand on his arm. "Hey," She started. "How've you been?"

 

He shrugged again. "I've been alright. Been working on some guitar tracks for the new album."

  
Beth's eyes widened when she realized she had no lyrics for any of the songs on the new album they were supposed to be recording in about 2 months. "Really," She inquired. "How many songs have you got done?"

  
"Well," He pushed his glasses further up his nose and stared at the floor. "I mean, I don't have anything fully finished yet." Beth took a sigh of relief. "Because I was waiting for us all to get together so we could make sure everything fit. You know, the drums, the other guitar, the bass and the lyrics of course."

  
"Yeah," Beth's nervous laughter ensued. "About the lyrics, Spence... You gotta help me write something. Ever since Andy left I just-"

  
Spencer stopped her. "I get it. It's fine." He turned away from her and started back towards the living room.

  
Beth turned back to Emily and sighed, resting one elbow on the counter. "Spencer hates me." She rubbed her forehead.

  
Emily took a sip of her drink. "He doesn't hate you. He's just been going through a lot lately."

  
Beth sighed and stood up straight. "I need a drink." She admitted and took a gigantic gulp of champagne.

  
Three and a half bottles later, the four friends were huddled together on the couch, counting down the minutes until midnight arrived and the new year rolled in.   
"It's almost here!" Emily squealed and Marcus chuckled, kissing her cheek gently.

  
Beth watched the two interact the way they did when they first started dating and she couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on something. She was lonely. Emily and Marcus had the perfect relationship and Beth was stuck wanting a guy who lived on the other side of the country and had very little interest in her compared to her large lust for him.

  
"A minute left!" Spencer stood up and the others joined him.

  
Everyone stood side by side and hand in hand, eagerly watching the TV and the clock counting down the now seconds until 2016 arrived.

  
"10, 9, 8,7...." Everyone started counting down in unison and Beth could feel Spencer's grip grow tighter on her hand.

  
_3, 2, 1_

 

Emily let go of Beth's hand to turn and kiss Marcus.

  
"Happy New Year!" Spencer exclaimed and drunkenly grabbed Beth's face and kissed her.

  
She pulled back and gawked at him. She, too, wasn't exactly in her right mind either but Spencer kissing her was something she never saw coming. They stared at each other for a few more seconds before Beth realized she had liked kissing Spencer. She grabbed his hands and thrusted her lips at his. He definitely didnt protest and let Beth kiss him. The kiss began to grow more and more passionate as his arms wrapped around her waist and her hands found their way to his hair.

  
Emily and Marcus watched the two kiss with blissful eyes. They'd both been waiting for the day Spencer made a move, and Beth finally realized that Andy wasn't the guy she was in love with; it was Spencer all along.


	3. CH 3

"How you feeling this morning?" Emily dropped down onto the couch next to Spencer.  
  
Spencer shrugged as he looked up from his notebook. "Alright," He admitted. "My head was killing me a few hours ago though.  
  
Emily giggled quietly. "What are you writing?" She inquired.  
  
"Oh, nothing..." A flustered Spencer attempted to quickly put the book away but Emily was swift.  
  
"Come on, Spence. Let me read it." She insisted.  
  
Spencer was hesitant but handed over the notebook anyway. Out of the three of his friends, he felt as though he could trust Emily the most with the innermost workings of his mind that he let free onto paper.  
  
Emily opened to the page Spencer had been working on and read:  
  
_I used to be afraid of the dark_  
_Until one night I learned_  
_How to turn off the closet light_ _  
__And lay in the dark_  
_And I was okay with that_  
  
_I used to be afraid of the dark_  
_Until one day_  
_My mind grew swollen with darkness_  
_And I was okay with that_  
  
Emily looked up at Spencer. "Spence, this is... This is dark shit."  
  
"I know..." He took the notebook back from her. "But I trust you with this, okay? You can't tell Beth or anyone about this."  
  
"Okay..." Emily trailed and stood up, leaving Spencer on the couch alone.  
  
Emily's mind was spinning. Spencer wasn't okay. There was something going on with him and she needed to tell Beth at the very least. Beth would know what to do; she's dealt with this personally before.  
  
She wandered into the kitchen, finding Beth longingly staring into the fridge. She walked up behind her and sighed. "Beth, I need to talk to you."  
  
Beth turned around and smiled. "Thank god you're still here. I need to talk to you, too. About last night. I barely remember anything that happened. I remember kissing someone but the only two people it could have been are you or... "  
  
"Spencer." They said in unison.  
  
"Oh god." Beth covered her face with her hands. "I kissed Spencer last night?"  
  
Emily walked Beth over to the dining room table and sat down with her. "Yeah, you guys kissed. But don't think of that at a bad thing."  
  
"Em," Beth took her hand. "Of course it's a bad thing." She hung her head and looked down at the glazed wood of the table.  
  
Emily sighed. "Beth, it's really not that bad. I mean, think about it. Spencer obviously likes you. Kissing him last night must've meant you like him, too!"  
  
"But Andy-"  
  
"Oh, would you forget about Andy?" Emily interrupted. "Has he called you once since he left in August?"  
  
Beth solemnly shook her head.  
  
"So? There you go. He doesn't care enough to even call. You guys had a summer fling, but he's in LA now and you're here." She paused, hoping Beth would say something but she just sat there, frozen and staring holes into the table. "All I'm saying," Emily continued. "Is don't count Spence out. Think about it. Give him a chance."  
  
Beth started to think maybe Emily was right. She never had given Spencer a real chance and this summer had been very testing on her. Andy was gorgeous, and famous, and rebellious. Spencer was her best friend; her nerdy best friend who has had a crush on her since high school. Andy hadn't called and Spencer was right here. He was always here.  
  
"Thanks Em." She squeezed her hand and stood up from the table. She was about to enter the living room when her phone buzzed, diverting her train of thought. Her heart stopped when she saw Andy's name on the screen. Did she bother reading the message right now or wait and talk to Spencer?  
  
She decided on the latter. Spencer was more important in this moment. He was a few feet away from her. Andy was thousands of miles away. She stuffed her phone back into her pocket, took a deep breath, and headed toward Spencer on the couch.  
  
Beth smiled and adored the way Marcus and Spencer were cuddling the hangovers out of each other. Last night had been rough, and everyone was feeling the effects.  
  
"Spence?" She called out and him and Marcus jumped away from each other. Beth giggled. "Can we talk?"  
  
"Uh," Spencer was caught off guard. "Sure, yeah."  
  
Marcus stood up from the couch. "I'll leave you two alone."  
  
Beth gave him a weak smile and passed him to take his seat on the couch next to Spencer. "We should talk about last night..."  
  
Spencer groaned. "Hmm. Do we have to?" He tried to joke about it and laugh it off. He was afraid that their kiss might complicate their friendship and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.  
  
"Spence..." She reached for his hands. They were cold as ice and hers were warm. "We gotta talk about it. We can't just let it sit there."  
  
He took in a deep breath and let it out. This could either go really well, and she'll feel the same way he's felt since he met her; or this could go terribly. She could reject him for the final time and lust after Andy for the rest of her life, leaving him in the dust.  
  
"How are you feeling?" She asked, also trying to avoid the subject even though the best way to finally tell him how she felt was to address it head on.  
  
Spencer's eyes widened. She was trying to pin this on him and make him start the conversation. "Uuuhhh....Good?"  
  
Beth looked down at her lap. _Just say it. Just tell him how you feel. You'll feel better after you do. He feels the same way; there's no reason to be scared._  
  
"Spence, I gotta be honest." Her grip on his hands grew tighter. His nerves began to race and his stomach churned. "I really liked our kiss last night."  
  



	4. CH 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please go re-read chapter 3 before reading this chapter. I decided to go in a different direction and changed the ending of chapter 3. In order to understand this chapter in relevance to the story, you have to read the end of chapter 3. Thanks! I hope you guys are enjoying this story! I'm done with finals at school so I will try to update more often now.

It had been a week or so since Beth admitted to Spencer that she liked him and things were going well for them. They'd gone on a few dates here and there; some alone and some with Emily and Marcus. Beth still worried about Emily. She didn't seem happy anymore like she used to. She was changing but Beth couldn't pin point why.   
  
A buzzing noise coming from the bedside table next to Beth woke her up. She sat up groggily and looked to her left to see Spencer slumbering next to her. He'd stayed over the past few days and Beth's dad honestly couldn't have been happier. He welcomed Spencer with open arms just as he had before they were romantically involved. Beth concluded her dad must have secretly been shipping their relationship.   
  
The buzzing stopped and Beth noticed her phone screen read 'Missed Call Andy' right before the LED shut off. She furrowed her eyebrows and swiftly grabbed the phone off the table. The screen added a new notification reading 'New Voicemail'.   
  
She sat with the phone in her hands for a few moments. She wasn't sure why Andy was calling, but she began to feel like her entire new relationship with Spencer had been a mistake.   
  
After clicking on the voicemail, she pressed the phone against her ear and listened: _Hey Beth, it's Andy._ His deep voice sounded so smooth within her ears. _But, you probably already knew that._ He let a small chuckle slip. _Anyway, just give me a call back if you can. I really need to talk to you about something. Bye._  
 __  
 __Beth could feel her heart beat racing at the sound of Andy's voice. Her whole body felt shaky and her limbs started to numb. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and her heart was beating so quickly, she was convinced it would pop right out of her chest at any minute.  
  
She quickly dialed Emily's number. What was she supposed to do? Call him back? What could he possibly want? She needed a second opinion.   
  
"Em, thank god you answered." Beth sighed when she heard her best friend answer the phone.   
  
" _Well, yeah, I haven't been getting much sleep lately so I was awake._ " Emily replied.  __ __  
 __  
 _"_ Andy called me. And he left a voicemail." Beth said.   
  
" _What did he say?!"_ Emily exclaimed, eager to hear more details.   
  
"Literally all he said was, 'Call me back if you can. I really need to talk to you about something.'" Beth tried her best Andy impression.   
  
" _Are you gonna call him back?"_ Emily wondered.   
  
Beth swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat with her back facing Spencer. He was still asleep, or at least she assumed. "I don't know if I should... What do you think he wants?"   
  
Emily was silent for a few moments while she thought. " _I have no idea, Beth. Isn't Spencer still there? I wouldn't call Andy while he's at your house. You know how upset that would make him._ "  
  
Beth nodded to herself and peeked over her shoulder at what she thought was a still sleeping Spencer. "I know I shouldn't but... I want to know what Andy wants. Maybe you were wrong and he didn't forget about me after all!"   
  
As Beth continued to talk to Emily about Andy's random phone call, Spencer laid there next to her, listening, and a single tear rolling down his cheek. 


	5. CH 5

Spencer's mind began to manipulate his thoughts in ways it never had before. Beth was clearly still in love with Andy. Nothing Spencer did or could do would make her change her mind about him. He was starting to think that maybe him and Beth were destined to be just friends after all.   
  
He sat in the corner of Starbucks, clutching his cup of coffee and watching the rain drops chase each other down the cold glass of the window. The sky was splashed with gray and black clouds loomed overhead. It had been raining for two days straight now. It was as if the weather was a representation of how he'd felt since the day Beth admitted to Emily that she missed Andy.   
  
The bell on the door jingled and he looked up over the rim of his black glasses to see a woman walk in with her hood over her head and drops of rain rolling off her black jacket. She shook a little to get any extra water off her and removed her hood to reveal strikingly pastel purple hair.   
  
She looked around and noticed Spencer sitting in the corner alone. She smiled and walked over to him, placing her bag and phone on the table and removing her jacket and resting it on the back of the wooden chair.   
  
"Let me just grab a latte real quick." She said, "I'll be right back."   
  
He watched her skip over to the bored looking barista and order her latte. As Spencer examined her thoroughly, he noticed she looked frail. She'd gotten thinner but only by a tiny bit. It was barely noticeable to the average onlooker, but Spencer could tell. Her hair didn't look as vibrant and her skin was covered from neck to foot. He had his intuitions that something was going on behind the scenes, but he never dared confront her about it. It wasn't his business anyway.   
  
"Sorry about that." She sat down in front of him and blew gently on her scalding coffee. "So, what did you want to talk about?" She set the latte down on the table and folded her hands in her lap, giving him her full attention.   
  
"Be honest with me, Emily." He said, looking her dead in the eyes. "Is Beth still in love with Andy?"   
  
Emily was quiet; even more quiet than normal. She looked down at her hands still folded in her lap. She took a breath to speak but Spencer continued.   
  
"Am I wasting my time chasing after her?" His voice trembled slightly as his broken heart began to show through his chest.   
  
"Spencer," She began. "I don't know what to say." Emily looked down again. "I can't speak for Beth. I just know that Andy has been that crush she's had forever. It's like your crush on her. The way you feel about Beth is how she feels about Andy. Beth isn't reciprocating your advances just the way Andy isn't reciprocating hers. And... when he does... I honestly feel it's because he's just being that asshole that will show interest just because she is. If Beth didn't have Andy in her life, I don't doubt that she would feel the same way that you do. Andy is just a roadblock. If we can get her to open her eyes and see he's not someone to date, I'm sure you'll get your chance."  
  
Spencer breathed in deeply through his nose, filling his chest with warm air and letting it go slowly. He was beginning to feel better about the whole Beth situation but he still felt like a waste of time and space.  
  
Emily extended a hand towards him and he took it graciously. Her eyes were soft and understanding. She gently squeezed his hand and tried to pull away but he kept a strong grip on her. He just needed the comfort of another person's touch.   
  
He stared at her long sleeve shirt for a very long time before finally speaking up. "Emily, I need to ask you something."   
  
She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "Okay, anything."   
  
Spencer gulped and continued to stare at her sleeve covered arms. "Has Marcus been hurting you?"   
  
Emily tried to pull her arm away again but Spencer's grip on her hand was too strong. "What?" She replied in disbelief. "Of course not. Marcus loves..."   
  
Spencer reached over and pulled her sleeve up. Covering her arms were dark purple bruises. Spencer looked up at her and shook his head. He stood up, grabbing his coffee, and left Emily alone. The last thing he heard was the sound of his name being called out and the jingle on the top of the door.   
  
  



	6. CH 6

_"Cheers!" Marcus and Emily said together as they clinked their shot glasses together and smiled as they downed more shots of straight vodka._  
  
_Emily was beginning to feel light headed. Marcus was starting to feel his endorphin levels rise as he gazed at Emily and thought to himself how happy he was that he had her all to himself._  
  
_"I love you." He said to her._  
  
_She blushed, smiled, and began to laugh. "I love you." She said, stumbling into his arms and burying her drunken smile into his chest._  
  
_"I've never loved anyone before you, Em." Marcus's swirling thoughts seeped out through his teeth. "You taught me how to love another person for the first time in my life."_  
  
_She pulled away from him and smiled as she looked up at him. Just as she was about to kiss him, his phone began to ring. It sat on the kitchen counter behind him and violently vibrated as his ringtone jingled._  
  
_His shoulders slumped and he turned around, grabbing his phone and not even bothering to check who was calling. "Hello?" He answered._  
  
_Emily could hear a woman speaking very quickly on the other end of the line. Marcus's whole demeanor changed and Emily thought it was best to give him his privacy. She wandered around the corner, but not too far. She wanted to still listen in on what was happening._  
  
_"Mah, calm down." Marcus said. Immediately, Emily grew worried. Marcus's mom rarely ever called him. Whatever happened, it must be serious._  
  
_"What do you mean he's getting out?" Marcus questioned, his heart began pounding in his chest._  
  
_"Your father's lawyer got the judge to reconsider his case." His mom explained. He might be gettin' out on probation if this court hearing goes the way your father wants it to."_  
  
_"This can't be happening." Marcus's blood began to boil under his skin. His father was the one person in this world he hated the most. Some think Marcus hated Heidi the most in this world, but she doesn't even come close to how much Marcus hates his father. "Don't worry, Mah. I won't let him hurt us again."_  
  
_He hung up the phone and his intoxicated mind began spinning in his skull. His dad had been sent to prison when Marcus was young and his mother was pregnant with his sister. Marcus's dad had always been a bad influence on him. He got locked up for drug possession and intent to distribute, illegal firearms, and domestic abuse. He wasn't someone you wanted to piss off in the streets._  
  
_Marcus stood by the kitchen counter, staring at his phone while memories flooded back to him of the times he would stand at the top of the staircase listening to his parents fighting. The sounds of his mother's screams, glass breaking, the thud of her body as it was being shoved to the ground by this much larger man he was forced to call his dad._  
  
_Emily peeked out from around the corner and saw Marcus standing there in silence, just staring at the counter. She cautiously approached him and reached out a hesitant hand, resting it on his shoulder. Within milliseconds, Marcus reacted to Emily's touch and whipped around to face her, grabbing her forearm in the process. The alcohol had only heightened his reaction to emotion and anger was coursing through his veins. He glared at Emily, his grip growing tighter on her arm. He let go and placed both his massive hands on her shoulders and pushed her to the ground. Her body hitting the ground made that all too familiar sound. Marcus stared at her in disbelief as she cowered away from him. He took a few slow steps backwards and then flipped around and ran out of the apartment. That was the first time Marcus had ever harmed Emily._  


  
***  
  
"Are you going to call Andy back?" Emily asked as Beth paced back and forth with her phone in her hand. 

Beth stopped walking and grimaced at Emily. "I have to, don't I..." 

Emily nodded. "Just find out what he wants from you. It could be nothing. Maybe he just wanted to talk and ask you about how you're doing." 

Beth took in a deep breath and nodded. "You're right." She agreed. She sat down on the bed next to Emily and hovered her thumb over Andy's name on her phone screen. She looked at Emily who simply nodded and Beth looked back down at the screen and pressed down on Andy's name.

She listened to it ring a few times and her adrenaline began to rush. Just when she thought it was about to go to voicemail, that familiar deep voice answered. 

"Hello?" Andy said. 

Beth could feel her heart stop. "Andy." She said. "It's... It's, uh, it's Beth." 

"Oh, hey!" He sounded so casual. "I'm glad you got back to me. I have to ask you something." 

"O-Okay." She stuttered slightly. 

"The guys and I were talking and we're trying to plan out a North American tour for the spring. We need bands to tour with us and we were hoping you guys would be interested." He offered. 

Beth's eyes grew wide. "Wait, what?" 

Andy chuckled. "We want you on tour with us." He repeated.

But what Beth heard was _I want you with me. I want you back._


	7. CH 7

As Beth hummed along to the pandora station playing from her laptop, steam from her shower began to well up and creep through the bathroom. She threw her towel over the shower rail and pulled the curtain back, about to step in. She looked down and staring back at her was a giant black bug with long, thin legs.  
  
"Nope!" She yelled. "No, no, no!" She grabbed her towel and swiftly wrapped it around herself. She burst out of the bathroom door and ran down the hallway towards her dad's room.  
  
"Dad! Dad, wake up!" She pleaded as she nudged her slumbering father.  
  
"What, Beth?" He groaned, half opening his eyes and rolling to his back to look at her.  
  
"Dad. Giant ass bug. In the shower. Help me." She insisted.  
  
Her dad glanced at the clock on his bedside table and defeatedly plopped his head back down on the pillow. "It's 11:30 at night." He placed a hand over his eyes.  
  
"Dad please." She begged.  
  
"Bethany, I am not getting a bug out of the shower for you at 11:30 at night. You're a grown adult. You can do it, sweetheart." Her dad rolled back to his side.  
  
Beth pouted and headed back out towards the bathroom. Instead of going back in to face the bug, she reached in, grabbed her phone off the counter and texted Spencer. Was it the right thing to do? Probably not. But she knew he would be over in a heartbeat to save her from the demon bug waiting in her shower for her to return.  
  
After sitting outside the door to the bathroom for ten minutes, Spencer finally came to the rescue.  
  
"Beth?" He walked through the front door and called out.  
  
"I'm upstairs!" She yelled out to him.  
  
He followed the sound of her voice. When he reached the top of the stairs. He looked to his right and saw Beth standing there with just a towel around her.  
  
"Giant ass bug." She pointed at the closed door to the bathroom.  
  
He chuckled and opened the door to the bathroom. He tried to focus on getting the bug out for her but all he could think about was the fact that Beth was standing behind him in just a towel.  
  
He pulled the shower curtain back and jumped a little when the bug started jumping itself. "Holy shit, what is that?!"  
  
"I don't know!" Beth shouted.  
  
"Alright." Spencer tried to calm himself down enough to grab a paper towel and scoop the bug out of the shower for her. "I got it."  
  
She backed away. "Keep it away from me!" She cowered in the corner.  
  
Spencer ran to the nearest window and let the poor bug free. "It's gone!" He called out.  
  
Beth felt relief wash over her but there was still an ounce of anxiety from the possibility that more bugs could pop up here or there.  
  
Spencer reappeared in the doorway. "The weather is starting to get warmer which means the bugs are returning from hell."  
  
Beth clutched her towel closer to her chest. "Spence, what if there's another bug in there?"  
  
Spencer shook his head. "I think you'll be fine." He went to leave but Beth caught him by the hand.  
  
"But... What if I'm not?" She questioned, gazing at him with her big, blue, doe eyes.  
  
"What do you want me to do?" He laughed. "Sit outside and wait for you to be done?"  
  
Beth reached her hand over his shoulder and pushed the door closed behind him. "Or... You could just shower with me."  
  
Spencer was bewildered. She didn't just say that. This was a dream. She had her mind on Andy ever since he called her that one day a few weeks ago. Then, her towel dropped.  
  
***  
  
"You're drinking again?" Emily whimpered when she walked into the kitchen to find Marcus downing shots of Jack Daniels.  
  
Marcus smashed the shot glass down on the table. "Just let me do what I want, Emily."  
  
"You haven't stopped drinking today. Every time I see you, you're taking more shots." She observed.  
  
"I said, leave me alone, Em." Marcus raised his voice but didn't turn around to look at her. His brain felt fuzzy and his feet felt tingled.  
  
"I'm just..." Emily took a step towards him but stopped herself from getting any closer. "I'm worried about you. Remember when you said you didn't want to turn into your dad?"  
  
Marcus could feel his anger rising as the alcohol replaced the blood in his veins. He swiped his hand across the counter and knocked the shot glass onto the floor, shattering on contact.  
  
Emily jumped back at his aggression. She knew she shouldn't have brought up Marcus's dad , but how else was she going to get his attention? She thought it could snap him out of this habit, but it only made it worse.  
  
He turned to face her and lunged at her wrist, grabbing it in his big fist and twisting it up and back. Emily yelped in pain as the silver chain bracelet Marcus had bought her pierced her skin along with the twisting of her bones.  
  
"Don't _ever_ tell me I'm turning into my father." He hissed through gritted teeth.  
  
Emily winced at the pain and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see Marcus like this. This wasn't the Marcus she knew and loved. This was someone else. Emily didn't know who this Marcus even was.  
  
He untwisted her wrist and threw her lifeless arm back to her. As her arm swung back to her, the silver chain bracelet catapulted off her wrist and landed in a broken line on the floor. Emily furrowed her eyebrows and just stared at it, lying on the ground looking as broken as she felt. She held her sore wrist in her other hand and waited for Marcus to say something. He, too, stood there and stared at the bracelet lying on the floor. He looked at her and she flinched, thinking he was going to smack her around again and tell her this was all her fault.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said. "I'll buy you a new one tomorrow, I promise."  
  
Gifts. With every new bruise left on her skin came a new gift from Marcus. She knew he felt bad and it was his way of trying to make things up to her but a shiny new bracelet wasn't going to fix this; a necklace with a heart shaped jewel hanging from it wasn't going to heal that newly sprained wrist. Nothing could change the way she felt about this new Marcus.


	8. CH 8

When Spencer woke up, he looked next to him and saw Beth laying there next to him, still bare skinned. He plopped a hand on his face and groaned silently. "I can't keep waking up like this." He mumbled to himself.   
  
He looked over and reached for his phone. The brightness of the screen blinded him for a few moments. He squinted as he searched for Emily's number in his recent calls.   
  
It rang a couple times before she finally answered. "Hello?" Her voice sounded groggy, as though she had just woken up.   
  
"Did I wake you up?" He half whispered.   
  
"No," Emily replied. "I've been awake for a while. I don't think I slept at all last night."   
  
Spencer stared up at the ceiling, imagining what kinds of things Emily must be going through living with Marcus. "Are you okay?"   
  
"N-No." Emily stuttered. "He hit me again last night. Broke the bracelet he bought me from the last time he hit me. I'm scared to sleep. I can't live like this anymore, Spence. I need your help."   
  
"Em, if I'm going to help you, we need to tell Beth and her dad." Spencer said.   
  
"Spencer, you can't tell Beth's dad." Emily said.   
  
Spencer sighed. "Just... Come over to Beth's house. I'm already here. We'll figure out how to fix this, I promise."   
  
"He's going to wonder where I'm going and why. He's starting to get paranoid. He questions my every move." Emily explained. "Also, why are you at Beth's?"   
  
Spencer looked at her, still sleeping. "Because... I think I've made a huge mistake..."   
  
***  
  
With the way tour had ended, Heidi didn't expect to hear much from the rest of the band, but they hadn't even told her about any practices, recording sessions, or any new tour offers. She was starting to think that they had completely forgotten about her. Part of her didn't care all that much, but part of her still wanted to rebuild the friendship that she and Beth used to have.   
  
She'd spent her nights going to bars and making men fall in love with her one by one. She used her body as bait and her words as weapons. She knew how to kill with words, and she'd practically destroyed the band last summer on Warped Tour when she used her manipulative imagination to turn everyone against each other. This time around, she found something that could potentially kill her.   
  
"You seem like a cool chick, Heidi." A guy, Sam, she met at a bar said to her. "There's a party going on at one of my friend's places. You interested in keeping this party going?"   
  
"Sure." She formed the word around her perfectly pursed red lips.   
  
He smiled slyly and took her by the hand, leading her out of the bar and into his sleek black Nissan that waited outside the bar on the side of the street.   
  
"You smoke?" He asked as he pulled out onto the street and his engine roared as they sped past the bustling nightlife.   
  
She smirked. "Every day since I turned eighteen. A bad habit I suppose, but I'm full of those."   
  
"Word." He said. "You'll get along fine with the group."   
  
When they arrived in front of the house, it looked quiet. It certainly wasn't your stereotypical high school party. These people knew how to keep things hush while also having a good time.   
  
Sam got out of the car and came around to the passengers side, opening the door for Heidi and escorting her out onto the lawn. He linked his fingers with hers and they walked up to the front door together.   
  
He opened the door and let her go in first, smacking her ass as she walked past. She flipped her black hair around to look at him and he just smirked at her as if he had decided for her that his actions were appropriate. She played along. She didn't want to ruin this.   
  
"Can I get you a beer?" He asked as soon as they had stepped over the threshold into the living room. People were scattered about, talking among themselves over the pounding music.   
  
"Got anything stronger than that?" She smirked at him, batting her long, black eyelashes.   
  
He waved her along, indicating to follow him. She obeyed, following him into the kitchen where the booze was scattered about on the kitchen counters.   
  
"Tequila?" He asked, holding up the bottle to show her.   
  
"Perfect." She stated.   
  
He poured both of them a drink and they wandered back out to the living room where the rest of the party was.   
  
"Sam!" Someone shouted and another guy came bounding down the hallway, nearly knocking him and Heidi over.   
  
"Dude, what's up?!" Sam gave his friend a quick half hug. "Oh, Chris, this is Heidi. Heidi, this is Chris." Sam introduced them.  
  
"Bro, she's smokin'. How'd you land that one?" Chris gawked.   
  
"Speaking of smokin..." Sam trailed off, hinting at Chris.   
  
"Say no more, dude. I got the hook-up." Chris said, pulling a bag of weed and a glass bowl out of his back pocket.   
  
Chris packed the bowl and took a hit. He handed the bowl to Sam who also took a hit, then passed it to Heidi.   
  
"Oh..." She said. "Um, no thanks."   
  
Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you said you smoked." He accused.   
  
"I do." Heidi defended. "But I meant cigs, not this."   
  
"This shit is way better for you." Chris vouched. "Just try it. It's basically the same as smoking a cig."  
  
"Could you help me?" She looked at Sam with an innocent look in her eyes. "I've never smoked out of a bowl before."   
  
"Sure, babe." Sam said, taking the lighter from her and showing her the way to do it. "Hold your thumb over this hole. I'll light and you start sucking in, after a couple seconds, release your thumb and keep sucking in smoke just like you would with a cig. Since you already smoke, you'll probably be able to get a high."   
  
After smoking with Sam, she started to feel different. Her arms and legs tingled, and she began to laugh at everything.   
  
"You think you're high?" Sam asked, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her into his side.   
  
Heidi nodded, and her head felt woosy. "I think this may be better than alcohol." She admitted.   
  
Sam chuckled. "Wanna try something else?" He took her hand and led her to where the couches were. She stared down at the coffee table and saw four perfectly straight powdered white lines set up on the table. Sam handed her a rolled up dollar bill and pulled out his own. "Get on your knees." He said.   
  
She did what he asked, getting on her knees and staring down at the cocaine spread out on the table. He knelt down next to her. Heidi was used to being the one who had all the power. No she was staring at her biggest competition. 


End file.
